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They're of no relation, but Leon junior Stanley Davis and sophomore Trejan Davis share the common bond of shot making.

Both are playing in their first varsity season, now just 14 games in after facing Cairo (Ga.) on Tuesday afternoon in the Capital City Holiday Classic at TCC.

Each Davis scored 16 points apiece, helping the Lions knock off the Syrupmakers, 52-49, to improve their record to 10-4 as the Christmas break hits. Leon won't play again until it faces Rickards on Jan. 8.

"Stanley is our shooter, Trejan is our guy to slash and get to the basket or run our offense," Leon coach Rick Davis said. "Those guys right now are really coming along."

Rick Davis knows exactly what he's getting out of at least one.

Trejan, at 15-years old, is his 6-foot-3-inch son, and he's been following his dad around since he was a young boy. The last few years it has meant playing pickup games against adults, who don't call fouls. Trejan is quiet, listening intently as his dad imparts his knowledge. Wherever he goes, basketball isn't far away. His aunt is longtime Rickards girls coach Chariya Davis.

"Trejan's IQ is probably one of the highest on the team, being a coach's son," said Rick Davis, using his young guard to bring the ball up the court most of the second half as Cairo turned a 16-point deficit into a one-point lead.

"He knows what I'm trying to do, who I'm trying to get it to, clock management."

"The varsity game is faster, stronger, and you have to be able to think," said Trejan, who added a team-leading seven rebounds to his totals. "It's years of playing. I like having the ball in my hand and making things happen."

Leon built a 33-17 halftime lead behind Stanley Davis' shooting touch. The six-foot shooting guard hit two 3-pointers in the first quarter and had 12 points at half.

"Stanley, we're running off screens, trying to get him open, but teams are going to start to adjust to that," Rick Davis said. "He'll probably have to use the 1-2 dribble now and maybe hit a mid-range jumper because teams know he's a 3-point threat."

"I have to work hard in the gym, work hard on my body," Stanley Davis said. "When the ball is coming my way, I start to drift toward the corner and make the guy guarding me on the perimeter help on the penetrator. When it comes to me— I shoot every day— it's like magic."

The only disappearing act in the third quarter was that of Leon's defense, which allowed Syrupmakers guard Datravius Sparrow to heat up. Sparrow had just five points in the first half, but he finished with game highs of 24 points and 10 rebounds.

An 11-2 third quarter run was followed up in the fourth quarter by Sparrow's right wing 3 with 4:15 left in the period to give Cairo (4-5) its first lead of the game, 41-40.

Leon, however responded with a Tremaine Wiggins dish to Mac Carey, a Trejan Davis transition layup and Stanley Davis' corner 3 to return its advantage to 47-41. It was an important cushion, but the Lions still had to watch as Cairo guard Stacey Masten (15 points) missed a 3 as time expired.

"It starts with our guards," Stanley Davis said.

"We always have to bring the fire to bring our big men along with us. If we don't start fast, we end up having to fight back. We need to start off quick every game."

Now with a solid three-guard rotation, Rick Davis hopes his forwards and centers— which were out-rebounded by his guards— can step up and be the 6-6 to 6-8 bodies he needs them to be to complement the outside.

"If teams we play stop the guards, what are the bigs gonna do?" Davis said, relaying what he spoke to his team about.

"Right now, we're not rebounding the basketball, we're not in position to rebound, we're not exerting much energy. We've got to get better play out of the post. Besides Godby, we're probably the biggest team in the area. Looking at rebounds, you wouldn't be able to tell that. We've got to get more active and pick it up."